“I am happy that now there is a place for children near our camp, where I can meet with other friends and play with hand puppets,” she said.

“My favourite hand puppet is the purple pony, it is so cute.”

These spaces provide a safe environment where children can play, express their emotions and receive necessary psychosocial support. Children are excited to restore some normality to their daily life with routine activities.

When disasters strike, families and communities can lose everything. And in the aftermath, children are left vulnerable and struggling to survive under desperate circumstances, at risk of hunger, cold, disease, and violence. One of the things children need most is a safe source of clean water to drink and bathe in.

Providing Immediate Assistance to Children in Indonesia

In the earliest days, villages were completely destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people were cut off from essentials like food, water and shelter.

“In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake on Sulawesi, ChildFund in partnership with a local NGO is assisting children and their families affected by the earthquake through family kits to enable basic shelter, personal care and hygiene,” ChildFund Indonesia country director Bridgette Thorold said.

“This is very important in ensuring a sense of dignity and well-being.”